


Christmas Time

by theydiedofterminalstupidity



Series: Rhack Christmas [2]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Decorating, Did I Mention Fluff, Domesticity, Jack isn't, M/M, Proposals, Rhys is a Christmas nut, Slight hints at smut, Tagged for swearing?, blanket capes, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28173435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theydiedofterminalstupidity/pseuds/theydiedofterminalstupidity
Summary: It's Rhys' favorite holiday, and he's not letting Jack get away without decking out their penthouse and the office.
Relationships: Handsome Jack & Rhys (Borderlands), Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands)
Series: Rhack Christmas [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2181570
Kudos: 13





	Christmas Time

**Author's Note:**

> So, this kinda has another proposal in it, but I'm just weak for Jack proposing, okay?
> 
> Anyways, more holiday fluff! Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!

Jack watched as Rhys flitted around his spacious office, stringing lights along the wall. Every so often, he’d hang a round ornament from the colorful lights, and smile widely. Music played softly in the background as Rhys decorated. He made Jack turn the heater on, and he had a blanket tied around his neck like a cape. Jack laughed to himself at the child of a man he had fallen in love with. His pale skin contrasted the dark blue blanket that was littered with a silvery snowflake pattern. His hair was swept back and to the side, he hadn’t bothered to style it when he woke up. With the lights reflecting against his soft skin, and a grin covering his face, Jack found him absolutely beautiful. His pajama bottoms were red and black plaid, with a black top to match. The design of a yellow ribbon was printed on the shirt, and Jack smirked at the thought of the present he had gotten Rhys. He fiddled with the box under his desk, and waited for the right time. In the Hub of Heroism, they were doing a display tonight with real snow, and bright lights, and Jack knew that that would be the perfect time.

Rhys strung up the last bit of lights and returned to Jack’s desk. He sat on top of it and beamed at the older man. “We have to put up the tree! C’mon, you’ve gotta help,” he grabbed Jack’s hand and tugged him out of his seat. Jack feigned boredom and groaned playfully before helping Rhys grab the massive box in the corner. He let Rhys pick the tree, and naturally, he bought a 15-foot tall, green tree with remote powered lights. They each grabbed a side, and pulled it to the area that Rhys wanted it to stand up in. Jack also hurled over two huge plastic crates of ornaments and tinsel and other decorations. 

Rhys pulled _everything_ out, without hesitation. Jack gasped at the amount of _Christmas_ that now covered his floor. He was never the type to celebrate, not with his grandma the way she was, but Rhys was the embodiment of Christmas. There was no stopping that kid, his face lit up and Jack wanted to see it over and over again. He wanted to give him the world. And he could do it, he just needed time. He wrapped his arms around Rhys’ waist from behind and tugged his body close. He rested his chin against where Rhys’ neck met his shoulder, and he smiled. 

“ _Jaaacccckkkkk_ stop, we’ve gotta get these up!” He shook a string of tinsel through the air. Jack laughed at his childishness and hugged him tightly. Rhys reached behind him to tousle Jack’s hair with his human hand. 

Jack moved to his ear, before speaking softly, “ _I love you, Rhysie,_ ” he swayed softly with him to the music. 

“I love you too, you know that,” he gave a smile that reached his eyes, and laid his right arm over Jack’s on his waist. They stepped side to side for a minute, letting the jazzy music be the only noise. Rhys stopped when Jack kissed his neck. He pulled away and let out a soft yelp. He giggled and turned in Jack’s arms, “S-“ another laugh erupted when Jack put his head back to the younger man’s neck, “-stop! You know how ticklish I am.” His laugh was contagious, and soon him and Jack had sat them on the floor to avoid losing their balance. They held each other’s hands and never let their smiles falter. Jack pulled Rhys’ forehead to his own, and they stayed like that. 

Rhys closed the gap between them, and pressed a soft kiss to Jack’s lips. The latter’s eyes dropped closed as he slid Rhys into his lap and let their lips move against each other gently. The kiss was full of love, and Jack fell just a little harder for him. When they broke apart, they sorted through the items laid out around them, and tried to decide what to put up first. Rhys wanted the tree up as soon as possible, so they started there. They pulled it out of the box and slid pieces together where necessary, before standing the towering tree up. Once Rhys was satisfied with the way the branches were spread, and the overall look of the tree, he grabbed a box of red and gold ornaments. Some of them even donned the signature Hyperion ‘H’. Jack snickered at the nature of the thing, and watched as Rhys stood on his tip toes, trying to put ornaments on the limbs. Jack rolled his eyes and smiled, before calling a bot to come and help.

Within the hour, Jack had to get a ladder, Rhys insisted upon putting the star on himself. He considered not letting him do that, but the pleading look in Rhys’ eyes was irresistible. He held the 10-foot ladder steady as Rhys stretched up to the top to place the ridiculously large star. “I swear, Jack, if you let me fall, I-... I’ll probably start crying,”

Jack bit his lip to hold his laughter back, but kept his hands on the metal nonetheless. The topper was on the tree, and Rhys climbed down slowly. When he reached the floor, he ran over to where he dropped the cord for the tree. “Stand over there! I’m gonna plug it in,” his smile creased his eyes, and he erupted into giggles as he slid the plug into the outlet. The tree lit up first with yellow lights, which faded to hues of green and blue, purple and red, orange, and finally back to yellow. He was completely entranced, and sat cross-legged on the floor, just watching the lights. There were small, icicle-shaped bulbs that glowed a bright white. Even Jack had to admit, it was beautiful. The star on top was intricately decorated, and the tinsel wrapped around the tree reflected every light, making it seem even brighter. He watched as Rhys covered his mouth. It seemed like he might cry.

Jack crouched next to him, before sitting, and pulling the younger man into his lap. He kissed his temple, and brushed a strand of hair from his face. “Was it everything you wanted, baby?”

“And more, Jack. Thank you, I really appreciate you doing this with me,” He looked into his boyfriend’s eyes, and draped his arms around his neck as he hugged him tightly. 

“I’ll do anything for you, all you gotta do is ask,” he kissed the top of his head, and rubbed his hands over the expanse of Rhys’ blanket-clad back. 

“Anything?” There was a glint in his eyes, and Jack had no idea what would come from his mouth next. “ _Let’s go watch Christmas movies,_ ” he broke into a fit of giggles, and Jack pulled away. That wasn’t where he was expecting that to go. He picked up the younger man anyways, and carried him bridal-style towards the Fast-Travel station at the doors to his office. Jack checked the time, _4:37_ , he still had a few hours before the display at 8:00. He fidgeted at the thought of asking Rhys, but he couldn’t hold it back any longer. He never thought he'd get married again, but this just... felt right. As if nothing had before. He knew what he wanted, and that was Rhys.

They were in Jack’s penthouse before long, and Jack was setting things up for Rhys. He left him by the door, and ran ahead to pile blankets and pillows on the bed. _If we’re doing this, we’re doing it right_ , he said to himself. He closed the shutters over the view of Elpis, and turned on ECHOFlix on the wide-screen TV opposite the bed. When he stepped back out of the now dark room, Rhys was preparing hot chocolate in the kitchen. The smile hadn’t left his face for hours now, and every time Jack saw it, he was drawn to him a little more, if that was even possible at this point. He waited for the mugs to be ready, before guiding Rhys back into the bedroom. He gasped at the sight of the nest of blankets Jack made for him, and set the mugs on a nightstand to settle himself in the center of the pile. Jack chuckled before joining him, enveloping him in a hug. 

“So, what d'ya wanna watch, Rhysie?”

  
  


Three hours, and two movies, later, it was finally 7:30. Jack got up from their resting place for the past few hours, and held his hand out to Rhys. “Let’s go get some dinner, sound good, princess?” He kissed the back of Rhys’ hand when he laid it in Jack’s own. 

Rhys let Jack pull him up, and leaned against his chest, “ _Fuckin’ flirt_ ,” he whispered before kissing Jack gently. They pulled apart but kept their hands intertwined. Jack led Rhys to the bathroom so they could get ready, and started heating the shower water. He set out two fluffy towels for when they got out, before they both stripped down. Rhys grabbed Jack’s hand again, and pulled him under the warm stream of water after he got under. He relished the feel of it on his skin, and stayed with his hands against Jack’s chest for a moment. 

These days with Rhys were Jack’s favorite. He loved just being with him, and being able to call him _his_ . It made him feel normal, not like he was a CEO, but _loved_. It made Rhys happy, and he wanted nothing more in the world than for Rhys to be happy. He leaned his head against the top of Rhys’ and held him close. 

Rhys was surprised when the rest of their shower went by without incident. That never usually happened, even when they were on a time crunch. He used his favorite vanilla shower gel, it reminded him of the holidays, as if he could forget now that the office and penthouse were all decked out. The soft towel around his waist was calming. Everything felt _peaceful_ for once. Jack crossed into the bedroom to grab thick-lined jeans, and his heavy yellow sweater. Rhys couldn’t figure out why he was bundling up, but he figured he had a reason, so he grabbed his warm clothes too. Gray hoodie, black, thermal jeans, and a yellow beanie. When they both stepped back into the bathroom to fix their hair, Rhys giggled at the way they matched. 

On their way out of the penthouse, Jack grabbed two pairs of black gloves, and handed a pair to Rhys. He ignored the younger man’s questioning on where they were going. He teleported them to the Hub of Heroism, and tugged Rhys over to a bench near the center of the hub. Jack had ordered that Christmas music be played through Helios earlier in the day, and he could tell Rhys was loving it. 

“What are we doing here, Jack? Why are so many people gathered aro-“ He was cut short as small white flakes began to fall through the air. He gasped loudly and his eyes went wide. He looked wildly between Jack and the snow. 

Jack wore a wide grin, “Just for you, pumpkin,” he took Rhys’ hands in his own. They sat and watched. Lights glittered around them, and the entire space station seemed unnaturally calm. Snow fell into Rhys’ hair and on his eyelashes, and for once, Jack was breathless.

He fell harder. His heart was pounding, fearing what came next. Jack took his right hand out of Rhys’ lap, and gripped the small box in his pocket. He swung his legs off of the bench and got down on one knee in front of Rhys. 

Rhys didn’t notice at first, he was so captivated by the Christmas scene unfolding in front of him. When people around them started gasping, and he heard Jack cooing to him, he looked down. “ _Hey, baby, look at me,_ ” his voice was quiet. 

“Holy shit Jack what are yo-“

“Nuh-uh, my turn, pumpkin,” he paused to choose his words carefully, “Look, Rhys… I love you. More than words can explain. You’re the only person in this friggin’ universe who makes me feel this way. And I want to be able to call you mine.” He brought the box up from where he had been holding it, and presented the ring inside to Rhys. Tears were forming in the younger man’s eyes. “I want to spend my life with you. Every minute, of every hour, of every day, until I die. I can’t imagine living without you, Rhysie. So, please, stop me from rambling…” Droplets rolled down from Rhys’ eyes as he covered his mouth with his right hand. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes, Jack, absolutely,” a sob escaped his mouth, and he laughed at the cliché situation. Jack pulled off Rhys’ left glove, and slid the ring onto his finger. People around them started cheering and crying, they were just as shocked that Jack was going to get married as he was. He stood up and pulled Rhys into a tight hug. 

“ _I love you so much, baby, I really do,_ ” he kissed his temple. 

“ _I love you too, and thank you for this,_ ” he gestured toward the snow before moving his hand closer to his face to admire the ornate ring on his finger. There was a large, circular diamond in the center of a silver band, surrounded by tiny blue gems that seemed to match Rhys’ EchoEye. He gaped at its beauty, and kept Jack close. He looked up at him, and Jack leaned down to close the distance between them in a tender kiss. Jack’s hand came up to cup the side of Rhys’ face, and Rhys’ left hand laid on top of his. They kept it brief, but Jack’s eyes gave Rhys the idea that they would finish later.

He brushed a strand of hair from Rhys’ face, and grasped his hands in his own. “Wanna stay and watch the snow?” He smirked, already knowing the answer. 

“Please?” Rhys smiled shyly, and giggled when Jack nodded his head. They sat back down, and Rhys leaned against the older man as a pair of arms snaked around his midsection. He let out a happy sigh and watched the snow as it gathered on the ground. 

By the time it ended, it was almost 9:00. Rhys whined lowly and made grabby hands at Jack after he stood. Jack feigned annoyance and groaned, but scooped his _fiancé_ up anyways. He ignored the gazes of those around them and walked over to the Fast Travel station. Rhys loved how easily Jack could carry him, with no effort. It made him feel vulnerable, but safe. The colorful lights reflected against his eyes as he stared up at Jack. “Now what?” He wrapped his arms around his neck. 

“We’re going back up, kitten, I still haven’t eaten yet,” Rhys thought he saw a wink thrown his way, but he shook it off and tucked his face against Jack’s neck. They were up in the penthouse before long, and Jack sat Rhys on the counter so he could be near him as he got out food. He grabbed various ingredients and started cooking, the only good habit that came from his grandma. It was a family recipe, simple, but Rhys loved it. _Chicken in a Cremé sauce._ He had the recipe memorized, and got to work. While Jack was facing the stove, his back to Rhys, he heard a quiet whimper. He turned around to see Rhys laid across the counter. 

“ _Jaaaaaacccccckkkkkk_ , I’m dyyyyinngg. You haven’t paid enough attention to meeeee.” He was met with a low chuckle from Jack, who moved over and leaned down to kiss his forehead. 

“I’m almost done, don’t worry, princess,”

“Okay,” he pouted. “Just hurry, I miss you.” Then he grinned when Jack ran a hand through his hair before going back to cooking. He wasn’t lying, it was only about five minutes before he called Rhys over to the bar to sit down. He set a plate in front of his chair and one next to him, and sat down. Rhys moved it right in front of Jack, instead though. 

“Whatcha doin’, Rhysie?” He was answered by Rhys sitting down on his left leg, so they could eat side-by-side. He smiled at the notion and loosely wrapped an arm around his waist so he wouldn’t fall. 

When Jack finished eating, he let his right hand fall to Rhys’ leg, and rubbed small circles into his thigh. Rhys batted him away, “Hold on, lemme get in pajamas and then we can cuddle, okay?”

Jack nodded, and stood up slowly so Rhys could get down. He followed him into the bedroom, and took his shirt off before grabbing his own lounge clothes. Rhys had his shirt off before long, too, and Jack took a moment to watch him undress. He had the classic little twink ass, and Jack loved it. His skin was pale, and contrasted beautifully to the black pants he slid on over his bare butt. The shirt that went over his head was a light gray, with sleeves that covered his hands. When he turned back around to Jack, he giggled. 

“Gonna just stay shirtless? N-not that… not that I mind, I’m just saying,” Jack quirked an eyebrow. 

“I mean, if you want me to, I can,” he smirked before stepping towards the younger man. Rhys’ hands instinctively went out to trail over Jack’s chest and taut abs. He leaned against him, and relished in the feeling. He yelped when Jack’s hands gripped his waist before hoisting him up to wrap his legs around Jack’s midsection. Rhys laughed lightly and draped his arms around Jack’s neck to steady himself. He pulled himself close and nuzzled against the warmth of his neck before kissing the skin there softly. Jack led his hand up to tousle Rhys’ hair and play with it. Rhys leaned against the sensation before grazing his teeth over the older man’s neck. 

“What’re you tryna do, baby? Huh?” He squeezed Rhys’ thighs. Rhys responded by pulling his legs tighter together behind Jack’s back, and nipping at his neck again. He traced his tongue along where his teeth marked, and smirked at the heavy breath Jack let out. 

“‘M bored,” he looked up, feigning innocence. He batted his eyelashes and rooted his hands in the soft locks at the nape of Jack’s neck. 

“Is that so? Well, we can’t have that,” he smiled before carrying Rhys to the bedroom. He let him down carefully on top of the blankets that still remained from earlier. Jack tossed Rhys the remote, “Put something on,” he sat with his back to the headboard and folded his hands in his lap. Rhys’ eyes lingered against his chest before he huffed and flicked the TV on. He clicked on a random Christmas movie, and crawled up the bed to flop into Jack’s lap. The older man’s legs were on either side of Rhys, who was on his back, looking up at his fiancé. 

Jack laid his hands on Rhys’ shoulders and leaned down to kiss his forehead. “This better, princess?” Rhys nodded happily before directing his attention to the TV. He watched as the couple on screen fell in love over the span of an hour and a half long movie, and it reminded him of his own relationship. 

He covered his face with his hands, “You proposed in the most cliché way possible,” he groaned softly. 

“But you loved it, right?” He chuckled, and ran his fingers through Rhys’ hair. 

“Yeah, I did,” he smiled fondly, and looked back up at Jack. He reached his hands up to grab the back of his neck and pull his head down so he could kiss him. It felt as if time had stopped as their lips moved against each others’ slowly.


End file.
